Partnering to ProgressK-5 Science Alliance

January 13, 2009Blue Licks State Park

Good Morning!Please help yourself to some refreshments and make sure

you have signed in.

Group Norms

• Start and end on time

• Put cell phones on silent

• Be respectful of all comments

• Everyone participates

• Exercise the rule of “two feet”

• Come prepared for each meeting

• Keep side conversations to a minimum

Review from November

FormativeAssessment

DeconstructingStandards

Measurement

Today’s Roadmap

FloatingAnd

Sinking

PrincipalObservations

Force and MotionORQ Scoring

Ch. 3Debrief

Classroom Observations

Generalizations

STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES

But Don’t Stress….

What your principal is really doing!

Remember…..

• It’s about the science program and how to improve it….not targeting teachers.

• Another round of observations will be scheduled in the future.

ORQ Scoring

Guidelines for Today

• We will be working in 3 groups grading 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade ORQs.

• Before grading, write the answer to each question you’ve been assigned. This will help you to trouble shoot the question.

• As a group, develop a scoring guide.

• Begin grading.

• Transfer scores to student roster.

Scoring Guide Rules of Thumb

• 4—All parts correct; insightful and/or elaborated descriptions/explanations

• 3—All parts correct

• 2—something has to be correct in every part of the question (A, B, C)—this is not a 50-50 determination

• 1—something has to be correct

• 0—Nothing is correct

Ready, Set, Science!

Learning Targets

• I can categorize misconceptions by the type of conceptual change they require.

• I can use misconceptions types to inform instructional decisions.

Reciting interesting facts, especially about dinosaurs….and “knowing” a

lot is helpful for playing Trivial Pursuit…it hardly constitutes

knowing or understanding science.Powerful Learning pg. 156

Knowing vs. Understanding

• What’s the difference between knowing science and understanding science?

• What do our standards suggest we should strive for through our teaching?

• Complete the comparison frame for knowing and understanding.

• How would you explain conceptual change?

A and B are similar because they both

________________

________________

________________

A and B are different because

A is __________, but B is ___________.

A is __________, but B is ___________.

A is __________, but B is ___________.

Curricular questions to ask yourself….

• How do I organize instruction?

• How do I use misconceptions, prior knowledge and things that are problematic for students?

Begin with Misconceptions

• Activate, don’t ignore prior ideas. • Realize that students have notions about

how the world works that make sense to them, but does not agree with scientific explanations.

• Recognize that teaching for understanding requires conceptual knowledge that is organized in a schema, not unconnected knowledge.

» Powerful Learning by Linda Darling-Hammond

Creating Conceptual Change

• Research has shown that a simple “confront-and-replace” model of science learning does not allow deep understanding of science content. (Strike & Posner, 1982)

• This only works about 5% of the time. (Chinn & Brewer, 2001)

• Real conceptual change requires that deeper reorganizations of knowledge occur.

Conceptual Change• Using the section “Types of Conceptual Change” in Ready,

Set, Science! (pp. 42-43),create a chart, diagram, or description to help you understand the difference between the 3 types of conceptual change.

• Working with a partner, categorize each misconception concerning properties of matter based on the type of conceptual change it may require. – What criteria did you use to decide which category a misconception

might be placed?– How will this categorization help inform instructional decisions?– How will this improve student understanding?

• How did the teacher in the vignette use this knowledge to address misconceptions about the properties of gases and air pressure?

Take Home Message

• Instruction has to be adjusted when confronted with different levels of conceptual difficulty.

• Merely telling students the correct answer or having them read about it will seldom, if ever, help to develop deep conceptual understanding.

• Conceptual change requires time—some more than others.

Content Building

Floating and Sinking

Learning Targets

• I can identify properties of an object that are useful for predicting and/or determining if that object will float or sink in water.

• I can distinguish between mass and weight.

• I can use measured values of solids and liquids to determine their density.

• I can distinguish characteristic from noncharacteristic properties.

Floating and Sinking

• Work through the three different activities with your tablemates – I. Sorting, II. Balancing/determining weight, III. Dividing and calculating density

• Record your ideas, information, data in your notebook or on the activity handout.

• When you come to a “check,” prepare your response as a group, then raise your hand to “check your ideas with a facilitator.”

Floating Logs

A log was cut from a tree and put in water. The log floated on its side so that half the log was above the water surface. Another log was cut from the same tree. This log was twice as long and twice as wide. How does the larger log float compared with the smaller log?

• A—More than half of the larger log floats above the water surface

• B—Half of the larger log floats above the water surface.

• C—Less than half of the larger log floats above the water surface.

• Explain your thinking and describe the “rule” you used for your answer.

I would see more of my face when I

back up

I would see less of my face when I

back up

I would see the same amount of my face when I

back up

Low confidence High confidence

Human Scatterplot#24

Predict-Explain-Observe#43

• Complete the Solids and Holes probe—make sure you describe your thinking.

• In groups of 3-discuss your prediction.

• Using the materials provided, test your prediction.

• Based on your observations, modify your explanation as needed.

Today’s Roadmap

PrincipalObservations

Force and MotionORQ Scoring

Ch. 3Debrief

FloatingAnd

Sinking

For Next Time

• Next meeting is February 17th

• Read Ch. 5 in Ready, Set, Science

• Complete the reading guide.